A Burnley man is taking on the London Marathon in support of his son-in-law who suffers from a chronic illness.

Gary Ingham (52) is one of 200 people who have been chosen to represent the Cystic Fibrosis Trust at the race on Sunday, April 28th.

The dad-of-three aims to raise £2500 for the charity in support of his son-in-law, Ryan, who has the condition.

Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited illness causing sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive system. It causes lung infections and makes it difficult to digest food.

Gary said: "I thought it would be the perfect charity to run for. It means the world to me to be able to do this because Ryan is part of our family now.

"I see how much he suffers because of his condition so I can't think of a better thing to do for him and everyone with cystic fibrosis. They need the money and he's really pleased I'm supporting the charity in this way."

Gary first decided to start running in 2014 at age 48 after losing his father, sister and mother, all within the space of a couple of years of each other.

He went on to complete the London Marathon for the first time in 2016 in aid of Pendleside Hospice, finishing it in three hours and 57 minutes.

"It was tough but really enjoyable and the crowds were fantastic," he said.

Gary is now training for this year's marathon four to five times a week and he hopes to finish it again in under four hours.

"It's difficult fitting training around family life," he said. "It's a big challenge so you need a supportive family.

"When you wake up in the morning and the weather's bad you can't turn over in bed and go back to sleep. You have to go out and train no matter the weather.

"But training and running a marathon is nothing compared to the trials and tribulations which Ryan faces every day."